Kassandra Sims

I've apparently been on a bit of a faerie land kick lately, and this book fits perfectly into this theme of parallel, mythological worlds. The heroine, Neva Jones, meets a strange, handsome young man named March on a business trip to Wales, and after going home to Mobile, Alabama, Neva starts to wonder if she's losing her mind. She hears strange music, sees strange sparkles, and ends up diving head-first into a pond only to surface in a strange, magical world. An executive for a pharmacological company is the last person you'd expect to be drafted into a mystical quest, but that's exactly what Neva must do.I thought this was a very fun read, with lots of creative twists on traditional Irish and Welsh mythology and characters. Manannan Mac Lir, the Irish sea god, as a California surfer dude was my favorite twist in particular, and I really loved how Kassandra Sims played with the "reality" of these myths. Hell, I want to go on a vacation to her Ys/Lyonesse, hehe.Neva's likable enough, though sometimes her spunkiness manifests as sheer stupidity (if someone tells you to stay where you are instead of running at a giant, pissed-off board, for god's sake, stay where you are!), and I really liked the mercurial March. Neva's Southern Belle dialogue got a bit tiresome at times, particularly when she was hanging out with her gay friend Tony. Tony is a drag queen by night (and a literature professor by day, whee!), but he sounds like every stereotype of a flaming queen. I prefer a little less reliance on the Jack-on-Will-&-Grace stereotype in my gay characters, thanks.Like I said, this was a very fun read, and Sims has a nice way with words, managing to write vivid, lengthy descriptions without boring the pants off of me or veering off into purple prose.… (mehr)

I've read some really weird books in my life. "Hellbent & Heartfirst" by Kassandra Sims is right on up there. This book is marketed as a paranormal romance. The paranormal is there, but I really didn't think it was very romantic.

Jacyn is a disillusioned relief worker trying to help disconnected family members after Katrina. Jimmy Wayne is a former rodeo rider and current hunter of 'bad things'. I'm not sure I can really tell you more about the plot as I still don't understand it! They're together and apart and I can't tell you why they got together or why they were apart or why they got back together. There were witches, lamias, voodoo practitioners, leprechauns and brownies.

Sometimes being so OCD about books is the pits. It made me finish this one even when I realized I didn't understand much of anything in it.… (mehr)